You Always Want What You Can't Have
by satinair
Summary: Blaine and Kurt met in the first grade and since then they have been inseparable. When Blaine was ten, he realized that he had a crush on his best friend and seven years later he realizes that Kurt has a crush on someone too: Blaine's older brother.
1. Chapter 1

Cooper exhales and adjusts his glasses in the small mirror on his mahogany desk. This is new, having a desk and all. He feels like a real teacher instead of just some sub. He runs a hand through his dark brown hair and grins at his reflection. He can do this. He _is _doing this.

The bell rings signaling the end of class. Cooper feels a pang of nervousness deep in his stomach. This is going to be his first class as a teacher. Technically he's a substitute teacher, but he'll still be teaching. For the first time. Cooper checks his watch to see if he has enough time to puke before class starts.

The second bells rings and Cooper can hear students bustling through the halls. He doesn't even know what he's afraid of. He was a TA in college and he's had plenty of experience dealing with teenagers over the years. _Speaking about teenagers_, Cooper thinks, checking his attendance sheet. Right there on the list of students under _Anders, Phillipa _is _Anderson, Blaine_. Cooper grins. He didn't tell Blaine he was going to be his substitute when he saw him in the halls earlier or when they passed each other during lunch. Cooper wonders for a second what Blaine thinks he's doing at McKinley High. There was definitely concern and confusion etched on his face when Cooper saw him last.

Cooper searches the page for other names he might recognize. He sees _Berry, Rachel_, a friend of Blaine's who visits the house from time to time, but the name after _Hanger, Austin_ catches his eye. _Hummel, Kurt_, Blaine's best friend. Blaine and Kurt met in the first grade and since then they have been inseparable. Cooper should have known that they would have classes together. Actually, he wouldn't be surprised if he found out they have every class together. He can't imagine Blaine being apart from Kurt for too long.

Cooper's attention is yanked from the paper when he hears students enter the room, chattering loudly. A few people shoot him curious glances, but mostly he is ignored. Cooper doesn't fret about this. He knows how kids act when there's a sub. They'll ignore him, try to make him look like a fool, and basically do anything to make him breakdown. But he won't give in. He can do this.

Cooper fixes his blue eyes on the students are they pour into the room. The sides of his mouth twitch upwards as Kurt enters the room because he knows exactly who will be coming in next. Sure enough, in a red bowtie and black polo, it's his little brother. Blaine is talking excitedly to Kurt, his eyes twinkling and his smile wide.

"...I know I'm usually 'Top 40', but yesterday I listened to the album and I was hooked. And it's totally in my range. I'm thinking about singing it for Glee club," Blaine is saying as he stops at the entrance of the classroom. Kurt just laughs and shakes his head.

"I don't think it's totally appropriate, Blaine. Maybe you _should_ stick to Top 40s," Kurt suggests, placing a hand on Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine's smile falters. "But Santana-"

"Is trying to get you to make a fool of yourself by putting it into your head that you need to sing a more risqué song," Kurt states. "Trust me; your usual choices are good."

"Oh, who is that?" a thin Spanish girl says, getting in between them and staring right at Cooper. Kurt and Blaine look over at the teacher's desk. Their eyes are wide, comically so, and if it was any other time, Cooper would have made a joke. But this is not the time. He's their teacher. Cooper sighs inaudibly. He doesn't know how he's going to do this.

"Cooper?" Blaine says, his voice a bit too loud. More students are crowding by the door instead of sitting down, just talking and ignoring everything else that is going on. Cooper quickly checks his watch.

"What are you doing here, Cooper?" Kurt asks. Before Cooper can open his mouth, the bell sings again._Geez, how many bells can this school ring in a ten minute period?_ Cooper wonders. The students scramble to their seats. Cooper raises his eyebrows at this. He expected everyone to dawdle to waste as much time as possible. He shuffles through the papers on his desk in search of the notes Mr. Cohen, the teacher he's subbing for, left him. His face breaks out in a grin when he sees exactly why the students were so quick to sit down: assigned seats. He looks back at the students. No one's sitting in their proper place. Cooper shrugs; he doesn't care where they sit.

He puts on his best smile. "Hello, class. I'm Mr. Anderson and I'll be your substitute for the next few weeks."

The class whispers excitedly amongst themselves, except for Kurt and Blaine who are staring at him, mouths slightly ajar, and the Spanish girl who just looks intrigued.

"Anderson?" the Spanish girl asks.

Cooper nods. "And what is your name?"

"Santana Lopez," she says. "You wouldn't happen to be related to our very own Blaine, by any chance?"

In the corner of his eyes, Cooper sees Blaine blush and drop his eyes to the ground. Cooper grins. "Actually, I am," he says. Silence hangs in the air as the class stares at him. Twenty-four pairs of eyes glued on him. Cooper feels the back of his neck start to heat up, but he puts on his most confident smile.

"No. Fucking. Way," Santana says. Cooper tries not to look surprised at her language. They'll use that against him. Besides he doesn't have a problem with swearing. He does it himself from time to time. The students start talking again. Cooper glances at his watch.

"I think we should get started," he says. He clears his throat loudly and the class quiets down. Cooper grins at them and turns to write on the board.

"Pretty face and a great ass to match," he hears Santana say. He runs a hand through his hair. He definitely can do this.

He can't do this. Fifteen minutes later, Cooper's staring at twenty-four blank faces. He glances down at Mr. Cohen's syllabus and notes. Nothing makes sense. He's not even sure most of these words are in English. He shifts uncomfortably on the hard surface of the desk. No teacher sits like this. Cool teachers that sit on desks only exist in movies because nobody has any idea what it takes to be cool and sitting on a desk for fifteen minutes just makes your ass sore.

"Mr. Anderson?" Cooper raises his head. Rachel's sitting at her desk with her hand raised, but she doesn't wait for him to call on her before she continues. "Aren't we supposed to be learning about Romeo and Juliet?" He shoots her a grateful smile and slides off the desk unto his feet. He grabs the copy of Romeo and Juliet off his desk and flips through it.

"Okay, who here likes Shakespeare?" he asks. No one else says a word. He grins and raises an eyebrow. "Whoa, whoa, don't all talk at once." A few students laugh and now he's staring at quite a few grinning faces. _Good_, he thinks. "I can't believe no one here likes Shakespeare. Okay, who likes romance?" And back to the blank stares. Cooper's face falls. "Really?"

"Romance is dead," Santana says bluntly, studying the nails on her right hand. "This is the 21st century. We don't have _time _for romance."

"Oh, come on. That can't be true," Cooper says. Rachel raises her hand again and Cooper nods in her direction.

"I personally love romance, but I have to agree with Santana. It's no longer realistic. This is the modern age. We don't take time to wine and dine," Rachel says.

"Are you saying that you wouldn't love to be wined and dined and treated like you're the most special girl in the world?" Cooper asks. Rachel blushes and twirls a hair around her fingers.

"I -I would l-love to be treated that way," she stammers.

"Mr. Anderson, how would you romance a girl?" Santana asks, looking him right in the eyes. Cooper considers her question.

"Well," he starts. His gaze shifts skyward. "I'll do something simple, yet grand. A nice dinner, maybe we'll take a walk through the park afterwards. Then I'll surprise her with flowers and some chocolates, and serenade her with a sweet song I wrote just for her. I'll do whatever it takes for her to feel special, like she's the only girl in the world to me." Cooper looks back down at the students and his blood runs cold. Almost every girl in the class has the same expression: glassy eyes, faint smiles, and fingers fiddling with hair. And they're all staring at Cooper. Shit.

"Tell us more," one of the girls coos as she props her head up on her hands.

Cooper's mouth goes dry. "Uh." He searches the room for a face that isn't looking up adoringly at him. His eyes fall on Blaine, who is staring down at his desk, and next to him is Kurt. Kurt's face is a bit flushed, but he's smiling at Cooper.

"Kurt," Cooper says. Kurt's eyes light up. "Do you like romance?"

Panic flashes in Kurt's eyes. "I do," he says.

"Do you believe that romance is dead?"

"No, I believe there's always a chance for romance. You just have to put in the time and effort," Kurt replies, relaxing a bit.

"Let's say you and I are dating," Cooper says. This causes a few students to snicker, but Cooper ignores them. Kurt ignores them too and keeps his eyes focused on Cooper. Cooper sees Blaine's eyes flicker in Kurt's direction before looking back down at the desk.

"Okay, we're dating," Kurt says with a humored smile. He's used to Cooper's jokes about them dating ever since Kurt came out to him and Blaine a few years before. Blaine said Cooper did it because he wanted to make sure Kurt knew he was totally comfortable with Kurt's sexuality.

"Score," Cooper says, grinning. "Now, we're dating. Wouldn't you much rather we go out for a nice dinner, maybe a carriage ride, instead of me just saying 'here's my hotel room, meet me in an hour'?" More laughs. _Seriously, grow up_, Cooper thinks and from the flicker of annoyance in Kurt's eyes, he guesses he's thinking the same thing too.

"Yes," Kurt says a little breathlessly. He blushes at how his voice sounds. Cooper gives him a reassuring smile.

He focuses his attention on the rest of the class. "Exactly. I think the main problem here is that we've forgotten that romance can be the little things," Cooper says. "Now all everyone wants to do is fuck fuck fuck until they fall in love, and then fuck fuck fuck some more." A few eyes widen at his language. Now he has a class of kids hanging on to his every word. He knew throwing in a few expletives would work.

"Hey, I consider that romantic. Especially if we go out for burgers afterwards," Santana says. Cooper looks over at her and laughs.

"Well, aren't you the modern woman." He glances back at the class and continues his lecture. "Romance is not dead. It's strong and thriving and big and small and it's whatever you want it to be. I think that's the problem with our young protagonists. They thought you had to go all out. They believed that if you loved each other, you had to show it in the biggest way possible. So a day after they met each other, they got hitched. That's equivalent to two drunken people getting married in Vegas after knowing each other for just a few hours."

"When I was in school, I thought that was what Shakespeare was trying to say. He was telling us not to act like dumb teenagers who make rash decisions without thinking. Trusting your heart is good and all, but remember to use your brain. Otherwise the consequences could be fatal."

Santana raises an eyebrow. "You _thought_ that was what Shakespeare was trying to say?"

Cooper shrugs. "Who can really be sure what message Shakespeare was trying to get through? It's all up to interpretation. It's a play; we each can get something different from it. That's what was so great about Shakespeare's work. We take what we want out of it." There's some murmuring, but it sounds mostly positive. The bell rings and Cooper checks his watch. _Whoa, time really did just fly by_, he notes. The class starts packing up and before he knows it, the class is empty except for Blaine, Kurt, and a few girls.

"Kurt, Blaine, can I talk to you?" Cooper asks. They both nod and throw their bags over their shoulders.

"What's up, Coop-erm, Mr. Anderson?" Kurt says. Cooper almost laughs at how weird it sounds to hear Kurt refer to him as Mr. Anderson. He looks over their heads as the last few students leave.

He steps closer to them and, in a low voice, asks, "So how did I do?" He tries to keep the nervousness out of his voice, but he's sure the two boys can hear it.

"You were amazing!" Kurt says, eyes shining brightly. Cooper beams at him and lets out relieved breath.

"Thank god. I thought I would crash and burn my first day," he confesses. Cooper gives Kurt's shoulder a squeeze. "Okay, I guess I'll be seeing you guys later then. You should get to your next classes before you're late." Kurt nods and walks out, but Cooper grabs Blaine's arm before he can leave. Blaine turns to him, confused.

"Is this weird for you?" Cooper asks him.

Blaine shakes his head. "I kinda guessed you were subbing when I saw you earlier. I just didn't think you'll be subbing my class," Blaine says.

"But we're cool, right? I didn't do anything wrong?"

"Nothing at all. Why would you think that?"

"Well, you spent most of the class staring at your desk. I know I'm hideous, but goddamn, I thought my own brother could stand to look at me for more than a few hours," Cooper jokes. The sides of Blaine's mouth twitch upwards, but a smile doesn't come.

"It's not that, Cooper," he says. "It's just...oh never mind. It's stupid."

"I'm sure it's not stupid," Cooper says reassuringly. Blaine looks doubtful for a second, but he opens his mouth to speak when the bell rings again.

"I gotta go, Coop. I'll see you at home," Blaine says. He gives Cooper a little wave and walks out the class room.

"See ya," Cooper says to Blaine's retreating back. He sighs and flops down on the chair behind his desk. First day and he made it out alive. _Let's see if I can last the month_, Cooper thinks as he rests his head on the desk and closes his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Blaine Anderson is not an idiot. He might be oblivious at times and he probably not as smart as Mr. "Master's Degree at 21" a.k.a his older brother Cooper, but he's not an idiot. He knows how life works. He knows the difference between fiction and reality; between what you see on television and what actually happens. And because he's not an idiot he knows two things: 1) he's hopelessly in love with his best friend and 2) he needs to get over it because nothing will ever happen between them.

But for some reason his body didn't get the memo about the second part. His heart still speeds up whenever he's around Kurt. His skin still tingles when their shoulders brush past each other. And Blaine's face still flushes when Kurt catches him staring at him in class.

Sometimes Blaine wants to punch himself in the gut when this happens. But most of the time, he just revels in the fluttery feeling in his chest whenever Kurt smiles in his direction, his eyes crinkling in the corners and his nose scrunching up. Blaine has had a lot of dreams about kissing Kurt's nose whenever that happens and working his way down until he covers Kurt's mouth with his own. But, again, Blaine is not an idiot. He knows you don't suddenly fall in love with someone you've seen as a friend, almost a brother, since you were six years old. That's why it was such a shock when Blaine realized Kurt has a crush on _Cooper._

Kurt's had crushes before. When they were ten, Kurt came out to Blaine. Of course Blaine had already figured it out before Kurt had told him anything. Kurt went on to blush furiously and stammer as he told Blaine about the guy he liked; it was some kid in their class named Max. He was tall (for a ten year old) with short brown hair and dull green eyes. When Blaine had asked Kurt why he liked him, Kurt replied, "He's sweet". Blaine had to fight the urge to laugh. _Sweet? _Blaine was sweet and Kurt didn't look at _him _with those wide, love-sick eyes. No, he looked at Max. Anyway, it turned out that Max wasn't so sweet when he beat up a third grader for having two daddies.

The next serious crush was on Finn Hudson when they had gotten to high school. This crush was harder on Blaine. Finn didn't seem like the type to randomly attack eight year olds for having gay parents. _Just my luck_, Blaine had thought and then immediately chastised himself. Kurt was his friend and he shouldn't be hoping that every guy he falls for turns out to be a complete dick. But he couldn't stop the painful tug in his stomach whenever Kurt talked to Finn, or hung out with Finn, or did anything that involved Finn really. Blaine didn't join the McKinley High Glee Club their sophomore year because he couldn't stand the thought of seeing Finn and Kurt together, with Kurt shooting Finn the looks that Blaine wished just once he would direct at him.

Fortunately for Blaine, Kurt's brilliant plan to get closer to Finn by getting their parents together backfired when Finn's mother and Kurt's father started dating. Then moved in together. That was when Finn made it really obvious that he was not interested in Kurt. He wasn't interested in boys. Kurt had cried on the phone to Blaine for hours and even though his best friend was hurting, Blaine was secretly pleased. He knew he shouldn't have been, but he was. Not long afterwards, Burt and Carole got married and Kurt lost interest in Finn completely. This made Blaine's insides rejoice.

That was until Sam Evans came to McKinley. Blaine was sure the universe was punishing him for something he did in a past life because there was no way Kurt kept falling in love with every guy _except him_. The crush on Sam went away pretty quickly with Kurt simply saying, "I can't be with someone who is not honest with himself. He dyes his hair. If he's lying about that, what else would he lie about?" Blaine had simply nodded and tried to hide the smirk that was tugging at his lips.

But now it is happening again. Kurt always has the same slightly flushed face and spaced out expression that most of the girls in his English class wore. Except, of course, when they're actually in English. Then Kurt is attentive; participating and focusing as if it's the most important class in the world. Kurt never really paid attention in English before. Usually, he and Blaine would pass notes to each other and in the last fifteen minutes of class quickly jot down whatever nonsense was scribbled on the board. But now Kurt doesn't even acknowledge Blaine's existence in English class. His eyes stay glued on Cooper and only Cooper until the bell rings and Kurt goes over to Coop's desk to ask for extra help or to give feedback on the class, leaving Blaine to walk down the halls of McKinley. Alone.

It's Monday afternoon, the bell rings and once again Kurt shoots up out of his seat to talk to Cooper. Blaine tries not to sulk as he shoves his books into his bag, not taking the time to neatly arrange them as he usually does. He puts his bag on his shoulder and adjusts the strap. He looks up just in time to see Kurt exaggeratedly laugh at something Cooper said. Blaine feels sick. His stomach turns as Cooper places his hand on Kurt's shoulder and gives it a little squeeze. Kurt's eyes linger on where Cooper's hand is for a moment before looking back at him and smiling widely.

Blaine decides to take his time walking out the classroom. He has lunch next period, so he doesn't have to rush. He's certainly not eavesdropping.

"So I'll come over tonight and we'll work on it then," Blaine hears Kurt say. Okay, maybe he is eavesdropping. He slows down his steps to listen more, but there are only a few steps from his seat to the door of the classroom. If he goes any slower, it will be really obvious what he's trying to do.

"Great," Cooper says, and Blaine can hear the smile in his voice. "Come at around six. You can even stay for dinner if that's okay with your parents."

"See you tonight," Kurt says. Blaine's tightens from how _flirty _Kurt sounds. Cooper's his brother, so he should be like a brother to Kurt too. Kurt shouldn't be flirting with somebody that's supposed to be like a brother to him. And that brother should not be flirty back.

"Blaine?"

Blaine blinks, snapping out of his thoughts. He didn't even notice that he stopped walking and is, instead, hovering by the door, staring in Kurt and Cooper's direction. Cooper's eyebrow is quirked and an amused smile is tugging at his lips. But it's Kurt's expression that leaves him breathless. Kurt's giving him a confused smile and his beautiful blue-green-gray eyes are full of concern. Blaine's been spending so much time moping about Kurt's new crush that he almost forgot how breathtakingly beautiful his best friend is.

"Blaine?" Kurt repeats and Blaine's eyes are instantly drawn to his lips. Kurt's tongue peeks out as he says Blaine's name. Blaine can feel his face heating up as he starts thinking about Kurt's perfect pink tongue on him; flicking over his earlobe, licking down his neck, going lower and lower until it ends up swirling over the head of his-_No, stop it. Stop it. Stop it_, he commands himself.

"Little bro, are you okay?" Cooper asks and Blaine almost gasps before remembering that they can't actually read his thoughts. He quickly nods and bolts out of the room, ignoring at Kurt calls after him. He needs to be alone right now before he does something stupid. Kurt is his friend. His best friend. Friend. Friend. Friend. Friend. Friend.

After school is over, Blaine corners Cooper in the parking lot and demands to know what he and Kurt are doing tonight that is so important. Well, not exactly corners; more like hides outside in the bushes by Cooper's car, waits for him to come out of the building, and jumps out when Cooper arrives. And he doesn't so much _demand_ as ask in a voice so low that he has to repeat himself three times. But he definitely fixes Cooper with his sternest expression, but Cooper just asks Blaine why he looks so constipated.

Cooper leans against his car and gazes at Blaine. "B, what is going on with you lately?" he asks. Blaine's mouth goes dry.

"I, uh, well," he starts. He clears his throat and tries again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Cooper quirks an eyebrow. "Really? Because every time I look over at you in class, you're either staring at your desk or staring at-" Cooper's eyes light up and his face breaks out into the widest grin Blaine has ever seen. "_Kurt_."

"Coop?" Blaine says tentatively.

"Kurt. You're always staring at Kurt. Oh my god, why didn't I realize this earlier?" Cooper says, more to himself than to anyone else. Blaine glances around and wishes Cooper could just keep his big mouth shut.

"Cooper," Blaine says in a warning tone.

Cooper looks down at him. "Don't you dare 'Cooper' me. You have a crush on Kurt. Jesus Christ, Blaine, why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you? Why would I tell _you_? You're the last person I would ever tell if I had a crush," Blaine spits out.

"But, I'm your brother," Cooper says and Blaine instantly feels a pang of regret because of how hurt Cooper sounds. Blaine exhales.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just that you tend to joke a lot and this is something that Kurt _can't know_," Blaine explains. Cooper furrows his eyebrows.

"And why can't he know? He might like you back. You both are gay, you know."

"I know," Blaine mumbles. He bites his bottom lip, hesitating, before adding: "He likes someone else."

"Ouch," Cooper says. "How long have you liked him for?"

"Since we were ten and he told me he liked some kid in our class," Blaine tells him.

"Jesus, Blaine, seven years? That's not a crush, that's an obsession," Cooper says.

"You're not making me feel any better," Blaine huffs.

Cooper throws his hands up in air defensively. "Sorry, sorry. Okay, this guy that Kurt wants, what is he like? Is he tall? Smart? Good-looking? Nice? Or a complete asshole?" Cooper asks.

"He is _definitely_ a complete asshole," Blaine replies, fighting a grin.

"Well, good! Kurt doesn't like dickheads, so that's already one point in your favor," Cooper says.

Blaine frowns. "I think the fact that Kurt sees me as just his friend puts a lot of points in the other guy's favor," he mutters.

"Are you going anywhere right now?" Cooper asks.

Blaine shakes his head. "Just home."

"Good," Cooper says, pressing the button on his car keys to unlock the car. "Hop in the car. I have a plan."

A few hours later, Kurt, Blaine, and Cooper are on the couch in the Anderson living room. The smell of the baked chicken and rice they had for dinner still fills the air. Blaine's mom and dad had decided to go out to visit a friend of theirs just outside town, leaving the kids alone for the night. _As usual_, Blaine thinks.

Kurt sits to his left, back pin straight and both arms and legs crossed. He stares pointedly at the television, but Blaine can tell he's not paying attention because his eyes aren't focused on anything that is happening on screen. Cooper isn't paying attention either, but he is less inconspicuous about it. Blaine feels his neck heat up every time Cooper glances at him and Kurt when he thinks they don't notice. Blaine just wants to scream _WE NOTICE, COOP. DON'T MAKE THIS ANYMORE AWKWARD THAN IT ALREADY IS_, but he has a feeling that that'll make Kurt suspicious. Blaine just tries to send the message to his brother telepathically. Twins can do it, so surely brothers must be able to do so too.

Obviously Cooper didn't get the message, because a moment later he's getting up and mumbling something about using the bathroom, leaving Kurt and Blaine together on the couch. _Alone_. Blaine swallows hard.

He turns his head to Kurt. "So, what's u-"

"Blaine, why are you here?" Kurt asks in a cold tone.

Blaine blinks. "I-I live here," he replies. Kurt whips his head to look at Blaine, his eyes narrowed.

"No, Blaine," Kurt says. "What are you doing _here_? Right now? It is supposed to be just me and Cooper."

"Well, Cooper invited me to join and-"

"You could have said no."

"I would've but-"

Kurt rolls his eyes skyward and lets out a frustrated sigh. Blaine scowls. He is really starting to get annoyed at Kurt always cutting him off when he's talking.

"Blaine," Kurt says sharply. "I love you, but you're really making things difficult." A lump forms in Blaine's throat. _I love you_. Blaine wants to say it back. He wants to yell it back. He wants to run outside naked with the words _I love you too, Kurt Hummel_ tattooed all over his body. Okay, maybe not that. Blaine is brought out of his thoughts when he feels the sofa dip next to him. Cooper. Of course. Kurt only loves him as a friend. Blaine feels his eyes sting with hot tears, but he blinks them back and takes a few gulps of air.

"You okay, B?" Cooper asks. Blaine nods.

"Just a little..." His brain comes up with no excuse, so he just lets his voice trail off. Cooper raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. Blaine feels the sofa cushion shift as Kurt gets to his feet.

"I'll just be a moment," Kurt says before turning and exiting the living room. Blaine and Cooper wait with baited breath until they no longer hear Kurt's footsteps.

"This is a disaster," Blaine mutters, hanging his head low.

"What do you mean it's a disaster? He's here, isn't he?" Cooper says.

Blaine groans. "He's not here for _me_. He doesn't want me to be here."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're his best friend."

"Cooper, this happens all the time whenever Kurt gets a new crush. He practically forgets all about me unless he wants to tell me all about said crush. But this time it's different," Blaine says.

"Why is it different?"

"Because he wants to be alone with you," Blaine says.

Cooper furrows his eyebrows. "Why does he want to be alone with me?" he asks. Blaine turns to face his brother.

"Cooper, are you really that clueless?" The confused expression doesn't leave Cooper's face and Blaine says, exasperated: "The guy he has a crush on is _you_." Cooper's jaw drops.

"Me?" Cooper asks, pointing at himself as if Blaine had confused him with someone else. Blaine nods. "He does know that I'm not-"

"He knows," Blaine says. "But this isn't the first time he's gone after a straight guy. Or even the third. I guess he likes the attention you give him." And Blaine adds, irritably: "And you're very flirty."

"I'm not flirty!" Cooper protests. "I just make jokes."

"You make a lot of jokes," Blaine bites back.

"Anyway, you give him way more attention than I do," Cooper says.

"He just sees me as his dorky friend that he's known practically all his life," Blaine mumbles.

"That's unfortunate," Cooper says.

"You think?" Blaine snaps. Suddenly Cooper's face lights up and Blaine can practically see a little lightbulb hovering over his head. Tentatively, he asks, "What is it?"

"This can actually be a good thing," Cooper says.

"What?"

"He just thinks he likes me. All we have to do is redirect his affections to you," Cooper explains.

"And how do you suppose we do that? I've tried everything," Blaine says miserably.

"Yeah, everything such as stare at him in class, blush all the time, and regularly friendzone yourself. I'm surprised he's not hopping on your dick," Cooper deadpans.

"Cooper!" Blaine gasps. He whips his head around to make sure no one else is around.

Cooper smiles sweetly. "Just leave everything to me, little bro."

Blaine sighs and leans back on the sofa. "So, what should I do?" he asks.

"When he comes back, say you need to go to the bathroom," Cooper starts.

"What will I do in the bathroom?" Blaine asks.

"You won't actually be in the bathroom. You'll be in the hall closet."

Blaine knits his eyebrows. "What?"

"Just trust me," Cooper replies.

"That makes me want to trust you less."

"Blaine, just...gah, just _trust_ _me_."

"Well, if you're going to be so eloquent about it, sure," Blaine says sarcastically.

"Good," Cooper says, sitting back with a smile. "You'll be in Kurt Hummel's pants before you can even say 'Cooper is the best big brother there ever was'."

"I would never say that."

"You're my least favorite sibling," he sneers.

"I'm your _only _sibling," Blaine points out.

"You're still my least favorite," Cooper retorts. Blaine is about to respond when Kurt enters the room. Blaine reddens slightly and silently prays to whatever god there is that Kurt did not hear any of their conversation. Blaine can hear Cooper snickering beside him.

"What happened?" Kurt asks, taking his seat. Blaine shakes his head, but shoots Cooper an annoyed glance which shuts him up. They sit in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes until Blaine can feel pressure on his right foot. Cooper's stepping on him _hard_. Blaine turns his head and raises his eyebrow at his brother._Bathroom_, Cooper mouths.

Blaine clears his throat. "Uh, I-I have to go to the bathroom," he announces. He suddenly feels ridiculous. Who announces they have to go the bathroom? _Dummies that listen to their idiot big brothers, that's who_, Blaine thinks. Cooper smiles and nods at him, but Kurt gives him a grateful smile too and for a moment, Blaine is confused as to why. Then he realizes that Kurt thinks he's trying to give him and Cooper some private time. Blaine feels pressure on his temples and his stomach is doing somersaults, but he exits the living room, leaving his crush and his brother alone.

He tries not to make too much noise as he makes his way to the closet close to the front door of the house. Blaine looks around, making sure that there's no one around, and slips in. Instantly, he feels foolish. He's in a dark closet surrounded by coats, shoes, umbrellas, and god knows what. Blaine leaves the door open a crack, presses his ear to it, and tries to ignore the faint stench of feet that has filled his nostrils.

"So, you and Blaine," Blaine hears Cooper say. Blaine rolls his eyes. _What a way to start a conversation, Coop_, he says in his head.

"What about me and Blaine?" Kurt asks.

"It's really cool how you guys have been friends since like forever and you both happen to be gay," Cooper says. He pauses. "Have you ever thought about him..._that way_?" Blaine's breath gets caught in his throat. He presses closer to the crack, not wanting to miss Kurt's answer.

"What way?"

"Uh, not just friends-like," Cooper says. Blaine steps back from that door. _What? _He wonders what possibly possessed him to think that Cooper was the best person to be his wingman in this situation.

"Cooper's an idiot," Blaine mutters, pressing his ear back to the door.

"...made way more sense in my head," Cooper is saying. Kurt lets out a high pitched and airy laugh. Blaine rests his forehead on the door and fights the urge to bang his head against it. Cooper's not supposed to be making Kurt laugh. He's supposed to make Kurt fall in love with Blaine. This is going to end badly and Kurt is just going to fall more in love with Cooper and Blaine is going to die alone. Blaine lifts his head. _I could get cats_, he thinks.

"Kurt, you like fashion, right?" Cooper asks.

Blaine can hear the smile in Kurt's voice as he answers: "Yes, I do. Why?" _Lots of cats._

"Do you think you'll be available Friday to go out-" He stops. Blaine winces. _Poor choice of words, Cooper_, he thinks. _Poor choice of words_. Obviously Cooper thinks so too, because he tries again. "Do you think you'll be available Friday to, uh, go to the mall to help me pick out an outfit?"

"I would love to," Kurt says. _There's not a limit on the amount of cats a guy can have, right?_

Blaine's heart hammers in his chest. He's five seconds away from flinging the closet open and running into the living room when he hears Cooper say in a loud clear voice: "Great! Because my girlfriend is coming into town on Saturday and I'm planning something special."

There is a pause and then in a small voice, Kurt says, "Girlfriend?" Blaine can hear the heartbreak in his voice. "How long have you had a girlfriend?"

"A while," Cooper says casually. "And it's pretty serious. She might be the one."

"The one?" Kurt chokes the words out. Blaine hears the floorboards creak. "I-I have to go."

"Okay, see you later, then," Cooper says. There is the sound of quick feet on the hardwood floors and the next thing Blaine knows, the door is wretched open. Blaine stumbles backward onto a very uncomfortable pair of high heeled boots. His mother always claimed her shoes were the most comfortable in the world, but right now beneath his ass, they're definitely digging into places they shouldn't be digging into. Blaine's just thankful that his father's umbrella is a few inches to the left or else that would've been a rather unfortunate accident.

When he realizes Blaine is in the closet, Kurt gasps, momentarily feeling nothing but surprise, but the anger and hurt instantly come flooding back. Kurt grabs his coat and stalks out the front door. Blaine scrambles to his feet and inelegantly hops out of the closet. He walks back to the living room where his brother is just reading a magazine as if nothing happened.

"Cooper, wha-"

"Run after him, you idiot," Cooper says, not tearing his eyes from the magazine. Blaine gulps and nods. He turns on his heels and runs out the front door, not even bothering to grab his coat.


	3. Chapter 3

The second Blaine steps out of his front door, the chilly night air hits him and instantly his body is covered in goosebumps. He tries to ignore it, not wanting to go back inside for his coat, but he can't help but shiver slightly as he stands outside his door. He feels ridiculous. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do or say. He sees something flash by in the corner of his eye. _Kurt_. There's only one thing he can do; he runs.

Down the driveway and to the left, Blaine follows Kurt's retreating silhouette. He breezes past Mrs. Lipton, his neighbor, completely ignoring her as she greets him. He kicks his knees as high as they can go. He can't lose sight of Kurt. It's dark and all the trees in the neighborhood are not helping matters. He needs to move faster. He needs to be there for Kurt. He can't lose Kurt.

Blaine feels foolish. He knows he's not losing Kurt. Kurt's just upset. It's not like he's going to jump off a bridge or something. Kurt is strong; he's been through worse. But once again, for some reason, Blaine's body didn't get the same memo his brain did and now he's running at top speed down a deserted street, eyes frantically searching for his best friend who is most likely just going home. _Blaine Anderson, you are an idiot_, he says to himself.

His legs burn and his stomach tightens. His head is throbbing from overexertion, so he slows down until he comes to a stop at the end of an unfamiliar street. Great. _Now I'm lost _and _tired_, Blaine thinks. He drops to his knees, his legs entirely too weak to hold his body weight. Blaine pants, unable to get enough air into his lungs. He doesn't know what he's doing. He should just give up, go home, and get over this stupid crush.

"I am going to die alone with fifteen cats," Blaine mutters.

"You don't exactly strike me as a cat person," someone says behind him. Blaine gets to his feet and turns to see Kurt sitting on a large rock, almost completely hidden by the shadows of the surrounding trees. Kurt gives Blaine a small wave and when Blaine moves closer, he notices that Kurt's nose is pink and his eyes are puffy and watery. _But he's still the most beautiful human being I have ever seen_, Blaine comments in his head. There's a painful pang in his chest and a voice in the back of his head tells him to _get over it_, but his legs move of their own accord and the next thing he knows he's sitting next to Kurt with his arm around Kurt's waist. Kurt rests his head on Blaine's shoulder and his skin tingles where he can feel Kurt's warm breath on his collarbone.

Kurt lets out a shuddery breath and presses himself closer to Blaine and Blaine can feel the cool wetness of Kurt's tears on his shoulder. Blaine sighs. This is who he is supposed to be. He's supposed to be the shoulder for Kurt to cry on when he gets his heartbroken. He's supposed to be the warm body to curl up against on those cold nights. He's supposed to be Kurt's friend and _just_ his friend.

"I'm an idiot," Kurt says suddenly. "I'm an absolute idiot. If you look up 'idiot' in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of me."

Blaine laughs and stokes Kurt's shoulder. "You're not an idiot," he reassures him.

"No, I _am _an idiot. I keep going for straight guys and I don't know why. And this time it was even worse because it's Cooper. _Cooper_. I had a crush on Cooper," Kurt says as if he can't even believe it himself. Blaine nods, but says nothing so Kurt continues. "I really liked him, Blaine."

"I know, Kurt," Blaine says. He swallows thickly. "I know."

"I've known him all my life and suddenly he's no longer just Cooper. He's this great guy who is incredibly funny and so smart and I just fell for him. Like an idiot," Kurt says.

Blaine feels the sting of tears and he turns his head away from Kurt. "Wrong Anderson," Blaine mutters.

"What was that?" Kurt asks, his breath ghosting over the side of Blaine's neck.

"N-nothing," Blaine stammers. Blaine tenses up as Kurt snuggles closer. Kurt lifts his head and peers up at Blaine through his eyelashes. Blaine fights the urge to gasp at the gorgeous sight in front of him.

"And why didn't you tell me Cooper has a girlfriend? You're supposed to be my best friend," Kurt says. Blaine gapes at him, unsure of what to say. Kurt's right. He's supposed to be his best friend. Blaine wonders for a second if he wanted this to happen; if he wanted Kurt to be heartbroken so he would run teary eyed into Blaine's arms. _No_, Blaine decides. _I would never want_ _Kurt to be miserable like this_. Kurt deserves nothing but a happy life, even if that happy life doesn't include Blaine. Kurt pokes him in the stomach. "Blaine, are you listening?"

Blaine swallows and blinks out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry. My mind was just somewhere else," Blaine admits. Kurt's lips form a thin pink line. Blaine's eyes can't help but flicker to them.

"I was saying that I know you probably think it was dumb for me to have a crush on your brother and occasionally flirt with him, but there aren't really any guys lining up to even _talk _to me," Kurt says.

"No, you're perfect and any boy would be lucky to have you," Blaine blurts out. His heart pounds in his chest. He can't do this. He can't just be "the friend" for the rest of his life. It hurts too much.

Kurt snorts derisively and looks up at Blaine once more. "Yeah, right," he says. "Show me somebody would want to date me."

For a moment Blaine can't breathe, completely taken aback by the flawless beauty in his arms that doesn't even know how lovely he is. He's been this close to Kurt before. But he's never been this close when Kurt looks so insecure and vulnerable like this. Blaine stares into his eyes, past the tears, and allows himself to get lost in them. He wants Kurt to know how amazing he is. He wants Kurt to know that he's the best thing to happen in this miserable world. Blaine wants Kurt to know how much he loves him.

Blaine can't stop himself before he's ducking his head down and pressing his lips over Kurt's. And it's perfect. Kurt's lips are soft and smell like strawberries and-_NO,_ the voice in the back of Blaine's head screams. This is wrong. He's supposed to be Kurt's _friend_ and now he's ruining it. Blaine rips his lips from Kurt's and feels his face burn up. He drops his arms to his sides and looks down at the ground. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_. His heart beats so hard that he can feel it in his ears and that just makes his head ache.

Blaine steals a glance at Kurt and Kurt's just..._staring_. Blaine blinks. Not moving or talking or even screaming, like Blaine expected. Kurt's just staring at him, wide eyed. Blaine isn't prepared for that at all. But then again how can you be prepared after kissing your best friend who you've had a crush on since you were ten?

"Blaine-"

Blaine props his elbows up on his lap and buries his face in his hands. "It's okay if you don't want to be friends with me anymore," Blaine mumbles. Kurt lets out a breathless laugh and Blaine groans. Great, now Kurt is laughing at him. Can this day get any worse?

"Blaine," Kurt says softly. He tugs Blaine's arm and Blaine tentatively moves his hand from his face and sits up straight. Kurt leans toward him. Blaine's eyes involuntarily close and the next thing he feels is Kurt's lips. On his lips. _Oh_.

Chills run down Blaine's spine and he knows it's not because of the wind on the back of his neck. Kurt presses his lips harder and breaths out of his nose. Blaine feels the air tickle his top lip and he presses back. The world melts around him. Nothing exists except for him, Kurt, and the uncomfortably hard rock they're sitting on. Kurt's hands are cold and resting on Blaine's shoulders with his fingers stroking the side of Blaine's neck. Blaine's own arms have found themselves around Kurt's waist. His fingers trace over the bottom of Kurt's shirt. They're not moving their mouths; they're just enjoying the feeling of their lips against each other.

The sound of voices in the distance brings them back to reality. Kurt thinks fast, grabbing Blaine's hand and pulling him more into the shadows. A few trees block their view of the sidewalk, so they guess that the sidewalk's view of them is blocked too. Kurt exhales and turns back to Blaine who is staring down. Down at their hands. Blaine notes how perfectly their hands fit together and how they've always fit together perfectly. They've held hands before, but this time it feels different. It feels _right_.

They look up at the same time and catch each other's eyes. They quickly look away, dropping their hands and blushing furiously. Kurt laughs and Blaine glances back at him.

"This is silly," Kurt says. "We've been best friends since we were little and now we can't even look at each other."

"Is this weird for you?" Blaine asks nervously. "It's weird for me."

Kurt shakes his head. "It's not weird. It's _different_. Definitely different."

"Is different good?" Blaine asks, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans and dropping his head.

"Different is great," Kurt replies. His face breaks out into a wide grin. He grabs Blaine's arm and pushes him against the trunk of one of the trees. "Anyway, you were right."

"About what?" Blaine asks, his heart hammering in his chest. Kurt's face is just an inch away from his own and he feels Kurt's hands at both sides of his head, resting on the rough bark of the tree.

"Wrong Anderson," Kurt whispers in Blaine's ear.

Blaine gulps and beams at him. "Kurt, I-"

Kurt grabs the collar of his shirt with one hand and pulls him closer. "Just shut up and kiss me," Kurt commands before covering Blaine's mouth with his own.

Blaine smiles against Kurt's lips. He knows he's supposed to be Kurt's friend, but he supposes there's nothing wrong with being his boyfriend too.


End file.
